About

With Bonus Cut we hope to highlight the fact that hip-hop is a philosophy; a worldview. Hip-hop is a way of living, of consciously resisting the hegemony of racism, sexism, marginalization and consumerism. With that in mind, hip-hop as a worldview is an enduring form of struggle that has been around for centuries. The musical aspect is an important form of expression in hip-hop and ultimately inspired us to create Bonus Cut. The musical aspect of hip-hop will be discussed at length and we will address the “old,” and the new. The message and social impact of Public Enemy is still significant today, and we can still learn from albums such as It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back and Common’s Like Water for Chocolate.

In addition to music, there is exciting hip-hop happening right now all around the world that deserves recognition, critique and dialogue. There are dancers, musicians, artists, writers, rappers, educators and students engaged in developing critical literacy skills and a social justice lens by utilizing hip-hop. With Bonus Cut, we will incorporate the multiple disciplines that are part of hip-hop and encompass the lifestyle of resistance, agency and community action. It is absolutely necessary that we bring this to our readers in a journalistic manner that serves to move the conversation about hip-hop, education, consciousness and life forward.